Daryl in a Nutshell
by Plain Old Shahhida
Summary: When the knock came again louder this time Daryl threw one of the plentiful beer bottles that was lying around the house at the door, full force. "'Sum bitch, I told you'd git yur money, later!", Daryl barely lifted his head from the sofa where he crashed for the night. Daryl Dixon was many things but tact was not one of them. One-shot about Daryls inner self. Rated T for language.


**Before the infection started. I really wanted to write this to get more like in depth with Daryl's character because he is a complex one, that one. One shot.**

**Summary: When the knock came again louder this time Daryl threw one of the plentiful beer bottles that was lying around the house at the door, full force. "'Sum bitch, I told you'd git yur money, later!", Daryl barely lifted his head from the sofa where he had crashed for the night. Daryl Dixon was many things but tact was not one of them. One-shot about Daryl + OC.**

**I know nothing about cars and I don't own TWD**

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**J**uliet huffed as she made her way to an abandoned looking house. Actually all the houses looked abandoned on this street but this was the only one that had a car, a truck, parked outside. That meant somebody had to be home right?

Juliet couldn't believe her car had broken down in this part of town. What luck and with the day she had been having, that person in that house was probably a redneck hillbilly. Spying the crossbow with blood on it she concluded it was probably a redneck hillbilly who wanted to show her the freshly dead opossum he caught this morning.

She felt slightly afraid as she climbed the steps. She knocked on the door firmly, though, as if it could betray her confidence.

Daryl Dixon was many things but tact was not one of them.

"'Sum bitch, I told you'd git yur money, later!", Daryl barely lifted his head from the sofa where he had crashed for the night.

Juliet dropped her mouth open. She was right! Well partly right. _What a hick_, she thought.

When the knock came again louder this time Daryl threw one of the plentiful beer bottles that was lying around the house at the door, full force.

Juliet flinched when she heard the sound of glass connecting with the door. She walked over to the window and rapped loudly on the pane.

"Hey!", she shouted to him.

Daryl lifted his head from the sofa when he heard her voice. He peered from across the room at the window. _What in the hell is a dame doing here?_, he thought.

She knocked again. Daryl groaned pushing himself off the couch. "I hear you, I hear you!"

He opened the door but not all the way. "Whatchu want?"

"My car broke down. I need to use your phone."

Daryl looked past her at the car parked across the street. A Porsche. _Rich girl, prombley._

Opening the door a little wider he swung his eyes back to her.

Juliet tried not to be intimidated by his stare but it was hard. _What a waste of blue eyes_, she thought, _those are the best I've seen_. But they were completely overshadowed by his meaty face and the intense squint thing.

Daryl didn't understand why this little girl was staring at him right back in the eyes, shoulders thrown back, chin lifted. Most people cowered.

It was unnerving.

Then he pushed past her and grabbed the tool box his brother Merle had left on the ledge of the porch.

"What are you doing?", she asked panicking as she rushed down the stairs. Was he trying to hijack her car or something?!

He swung around so suddenly she had almost crashed into him.

He held a screwdriver up to her face almost threatengly.

"We'll git chu back on the road in no time princess."

_Princess?_, Juliet stood there dazed. Who was this guy?

Daryl popped the lid on her car, bent over, and set himself right to work.

"Oh, no! You don't have to do that!", Juliet cried. She rushed to him and forgetting herself entirely she grabbed his arm. My, oh my. She had to admit, he was well built. How had she not noticed that from the sleeveless shirt/vest?

Daryl looked up at her and saw her blush and step away from him. _Females_, he thought, _embarrassed over e'ery little thing_.

He looked back at the engine. It was a popped hub cap that probably stalled her car then killed it. No problem he could fix it. But there was also main line oil leaking and that meant he would have to detach the grimfoil from the celesta cylinders to clean it up.

That could take a while.

"…really don't have to do this." Had she been talking? He hadn't noticed.

He peered back up at her. "You got somewhere you need to be?"

"What? No."

Lifting his head from the car he told her "Could be a couple hours."

"You really don't have to", Juliet started.

"Shut up.", Daryl told her.

"Uh—excuse me?", Juliet said getting slightly mad.

"You deaf?"

"Wha—I don't need this, OK? I'm just going to find another phone around here and if I come back and find you by my car so help me I'll call the cops."

Juliet was surprised when Daryl laughed in her face. "And tell them what? I was tryin' to fix your car? Where you gone git a phone around here? Look around, you see anyone?"

Juliet looked furiously at him. But damn the devil that was hard too. It was like a bee looking into the face of a rabid grizzly bear.

Then she sighed and her shoulders fell, he was right, the ass.

Knowing that he won, Daryl smiled a cocky smile. Got his way again. Even Merle couldn't win against Daryl (sometimes).

He went back to work on that car.

(An awkward 20 minutes later)

"Soooo, where did you learn to fix cars?", asked Juliet wishing to break the silence.

Daryl sighed. "What you pulling?"

Juliet shrugged. "Small talk."

"Stop it."

"Boy, you sure are the social one, aren't you?", Juliet scoffed. "Well, if you're gonna force yourself on my car the least you could do is talk to me."

Daryl snuck a look at her. _Crazy knowitall bitch._

She challenged him back with a look of her own.

"Muh brother"

"What does your brother do?"

"He goes to jail."

"You ever been in jail?"

"No, but you keep talking and I'll guess we'll find out."

"Touchy, touchy"

"Ho-er, ho-er"

She surprised him by laughing. It was more of a giggle really, real girly.

"You love him?"

Daryl made a disgusted face. _Women these days, man._ He shook his salt and pepper hair.

"My brother, he's a pharmaceutical rep.", said Juliet not noticing.

"What that mean?", Daryl asked, not interested.

"Hell if I know.", Juliet shrugged again. "What do you do?"

"Why you want to know?"

"Because…I want to, is all."

"Odd jobs, I guess. Here and there."

"Me too, I guess you could say."

"Is that so?"

"More like a…musician? Like, out on the road and stuff."

"And stuff.", Daryl tightened the screws to the difibulater.

"My mom was the real musician.", the way she had said it, she seemed sad.

"She dead?"

"Yeah, over a year now. Yours?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, it's just you got that look on your face."

Daryl put down his wrench and picked up a flathead. "Since I was 10."

"Must have been hard. Being so young."

"I was fine."

"Your father?"

"Drunk in a bar somewhere I'm sure."

"Oh."

"Don't look like that."

"Like what?"

"All pity party. I don't need that."

"Who does?"

Daryl almost slammed the flathead into the gauge line. She made him furious with her nonchalant attitude.

"Any girlfriends?"

"Why? You interested?"

"No—! I mean yes—no! Not that I wouldn't be it's just—that you're not—not exactly—"

"Calm down, Susie Q. it was a joke."

"Oh!", she sighed in relief. "My name is Juliet."

"Daryl.", he wiped the grease mess off.

"Daryl."

"What?"

"Oh? Oh, I was just saying your name out loud."

"Don't call me if you have nothing to say to me."

"Jeez. Who puts up with you?"

Daryl didn't say anything.

"You done?"

"Almost."

"What are you doing?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

Daryl glanced at her. She sure was pushy.

Juliet pushed back her hair off her forehead.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because."

(another long silence filled with tension)

"Sure is hot today.", Juliet commented, still angry.

"Yeah, something must be brewing."

"Brewing?"

"You don't feel it? The change?"

Juliet looked at him crazily. _The hell is he talking about?_

"Never mind."

"I guess you'd call that a hunter's instinct….I didn't feel anything."

"I'm done.", Daryl tucked the rag in the back of his jeans.

"So quick?"

"Guess I worked faster than you thought I did."

"Or maybe it was the conversation that passed things along."

"It wasn't.", Daryl rubbed his scuffy face. He needed a shave.

"Hmph. OK, if you say so."

Juliet got in her car and started it. Happily she shouted, "It worked!"

Daryl slammed the top down. " 'course it did."

Daryl walked around the car and threw the box of tools on his lawn. It thudded softly in the grass.

"Hey!", Juliet shouted. Daryl turned around. "Thanks", she told him grinning before stomping on the pedal and roaring away.

Daryl watched her go.

Inside the house the phone was ringing off the hook. Daryl picked it up.

"What?"

"Daryl, it's me Glenn, man!", Glenn sounded panicked.

"What you want, you lil shit? I told you I'd give yur money tomorrow."

"No! It's not that man. Oh man. Oh man. He came right at me; I didn't know what to do."

"What?"

"I'm down at the old folks home—delivering pizza—man, man. You gotta come down here."

Daryl sighed. He'd never get a day off. "I'll be there."

"Oh man! Remember to bring your crossbow."

Daryl didn't comment as he hung up.

He grabbed his crossbow and walked around the house until he found his motorbike.

He thought he had an idea about what this was about… ever since he found that thing in the forest.

The world went to shit the very next day.

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**You'll probably want to know what happens to Juliet. She dies the next day, because of course she's totally not equipped to deal with the friggin' apocalypse. I guess it's merciful.**

**Please Review. **

**Did I catch Daryl's character?**

**Did he seem like he cared at parts (like fixing her car)?**

**Did he seem like a rough redneck?**

**Did he hide his personality some?**

**Did he care about what she thought?**

**Should I have written more about the crossbow? (come on Daryl and his crossbow is a better love story than any other pairings with Daryl. Even better than Daryl with Daryl, mmmkay? Mmmkay.)**

**Please Review!**


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